The Negative Supply LM1 is a Pocket-Sized All-Metal Digital Light Meter

Negative Supply has launched the LM1 pocket-sized digital light meter that is designed to quickly measure ambient light to allow for accurate exposures. It also measures color temperature and supports 1/3 stop adjustments for ISO, aperture, and shutter speed.

The LM1 features a backlit display, a four-button design that makes single-handed use easier, and has an integrated rechargeable battery that provides several weeks of standby life and can be charged from empty to full via USB-C in under two hours.

It measures 44 x 90 x 15 millimeters (1.7 x 3.5 x 0.6 inches) which Negative Supply says is only slightly larger than a roll of 120 film. The color temperature sensor was implemented for both filmmakers and film photographers, which the company says allows both to better determine which filters of film stocks are best to use in a given lighting situation.

The LM1 is constructed from an all-metal body which is CNC-machined from both aluminum and brass and multiple scratch-resistant anodized color options are available: Satin Metallic Green, High Gloss Slate Grey, or Satin Metallic Silver are available in addition to the standard black aluminum.

Negative Supply says that the 144 x 168-pixel resolution reflective active-matrix TFT-LCD backlit display is readable in bright sunlight or in bitch blackness and is still quite power efficient. The LM1 will automatically go to sleep when not in use to conserve battery power and can be waked quickly from that state to be ready at a moment’s notice.

“We designed the Light Meter LM1 to be the best meter that fits in your pocket,” Negative Supply writes. “Getting to this point has involved over a year of design, product development, and testing, though the road to this new product started many years before. The journey began when we realized many of the cameras we and our customers were using had meters that no longer worked, or no meter at all. The handheld light meters on the market were large, plastic, and didn’t live up to the look and feel of the cameras we all love. We knew we could make something better, so in 2020 we started working on our own handheld meter, one we would all truly enjoy using.”

“The result is a pocket-sized light meter with a stunning display and a beautiful all-metal body that looks at home next to our favorite film and digital cameras.”

Left: LM1 prototype in brass after wear testing | Right: Anodized aluminum colors

The Negative Supply LM1 light meter starts at $379 and can range as high as $650 for the brass-finish model. Both are $100-off what the company says the eventual retail price will be. All options and prices can be seen on the LM1’s Kickstarter.


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